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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rash — hasty
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. shower — rain
  13. kick — in football
  14. ball — a dance
  15. shower — to wash
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com